The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Head of Customer Care (L5) to Director of Customer Experience (L6)
3-5 years as an L5Skills to master
- Moving from departmental ownership to business unit strategy. Mastering executive communication, P&L management at a larger scale, and driving cross-functional influence.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently exceeding departmental KPIs and delivering on strategic initiatives as an L5.
- Demonstrated ability to influence product roadmaps and secure resources from other departments.
- Successful development and promotion of managers within your team.
- Proven experience presenting to and getting buy-in from senior leadership (e.g., C-1 level).
- 2
Director of Operations / Product (from another company/department) to Director of Customer Experience (L6)
5-7 years in a comparable Director-level roleSkills to master
- Translating operational or product expertise into a customer-centric lens. Deepening understanding of contact centre specifics (WFM, CCaaS) and VoC programmes. Building empathy for the customer and agent experience.
You're ready to move on when
- A strong track record of leading large teams and driving significant business outcomes in a related field.
- Clear evidence of customer-centric thinking in previous roles, even if not directly CX focused.
- A demonstrable passion for customer advocacy and improving user experiences.
- Quick learner of new industry-specific tools and methodologies.